Means for securing adjacent edges of flexible materials



s. JEFFREY July 14,1936.

MEANS FOR-SECURING ADJACENT EDGES OF FLEXIBLE MATERIALS Filed Jan. 24, 1935 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFISCE MEANS FOR SECURING ADJACENT EDGES OF FLEXIBLE MATERIALS Application January 24, 1935, Serial No.-3,311

2 Claims.

In the construction of a purse such as the rather large purses or so-called pocketbooks carried by women, one of the most difficult operations is that of inserting the gusset, the accordion pleated part which extends between the back and the front members of the pocketbook and which is intended to be folded inward. The difficulty of inserting these gussets resides in the fact that the insertion constitutes one of the last if not the last operation and therefore the edges not only of the back portions but of the gusset itself must be most carefully turned so as to give the edges a proper finished appearance.

The object of my invention is to provide means for securing these edges in a manner that will be quite simple in that my device consists of a very decorative clamp which is engaged upon both of the adjacent edges and secured thereon.

My invention has still another purpose which is exceedingly important, and. is brought about by the fact that women have a habit of crowding sundry and numerous articles into their purses. This extends the sides, causes the purses to bulge and soon lose their attractive shape. As my device is of metal and as the separate parts thereof are hinged, my device serves to retain the purse against unattractive distention, in other words in addition to retaining the sides of the gusset, my device also serves to retain the purse in a proper attractive shape and of course as previously stated, my improvement may be used not only with purses, but with traveling bags and in the construction of many other devices where adjacent edges of flexible material are to be brought together and secured.

The following is what I consider the best means of carrying out my invention and the accompanying drawing should be referred to for a complete understanding of the specification which follows:

In the drawing:

Figure l is a front elevation of a purse.

Figure 2 a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 an enlarged view of one of my clamping devices.

Figure 4 a fractured front elevation of a clamping device.

Figure 5 a view on a very large scale showing a portion of a purse with my devices in operative position.

Figure 6 is an end view of the part shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure '7 is an end view of a clamping, device of modified construction, and

Figure 8 is a still further modified clamping device. This figure is also an end View.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

In Figure l I show a pocketbook or any bag 5 having the usual body portion l and the cover flap 2. At 3 I indicate the usual ornament with which is combined the securing means for retaining the flap over the open end of the pocketbook. The dotted lines 4 and 5 indicate the location 10 of my clamping means as at each end of the pocketbook, for it is the purpose of this device to secure the ends and retain the gusset or partitioning member in place.

My clamping means as ordinarily employed 15 consists of four members hinged together in pairs and one such pair is shown at 6 and 6' in Figures 2, 3 and 6, the hinge being indicated at 1.

Each of the members which constitute each pair is similar in construction, shape and design 20 and therefore a description of one such member will apparently be sufficient. The other members being indicated merely by reference characters and not described in detail.

Each of the members which constitute the pair 25 is in turn made of two similar parts as shown in Figure 4 and in this figure the parts are indicated at 8 and 8 and are each so formed so as to have an arcuate portion 9 and ID at each of the edges thereof and when two of these parts 30 are placed together and secured by means such as the rivets I l, slotted tubular members as suggested at 12 and I3 will result. The slots are indicated at M and IS.

The reference characters 8 to I5 inclusive indicate only the parts that go to make up the member indicated as an entirety at 6 and. 6 in Figures 3 and 6.

The edges of the material from which the pocketbook is formed may be treated in the usual manner, that is by turning and pasting and upon each edge I may arrange a slitted tubular member of metal or other suitable material, as indicated at I6 in Figure '7 and when all of the edges of both the pocketbook and the gusset have been so treated, these metal bound edges are adapted to be inserted into the tubular portions l2 and I3 of my clamping device with the material of the pocketbook projecting through the slots I4 and I5. Figure 5 shows one end only of a pocketbook with my clamping means in place. The edges of the pocketbook being indicated at I! and I8 and the gusset as a whole at I9.

After all of the metal bound edges are inserted into the tubular portions, these tubular portions may be closed either by clamping for the full length or bending inward only the ends thereof.

I have described my clamping device as constructed of two properly formed strips of metal, but I am aware that slotted tubes may be employed, and in Figure '7 I show at 20 and 2|, two slotted tubes which have been caused to abut one upon the other for their full length and then secured together by such a means as suggested at 22, which may be any type of soldering or brazing.

I am aware that certain materials fray at the edges and that a greater portion must be engaged for securing, greater than is possible with a tubular member such as that shown at l 6 and in Figure 8 I show a clamping means, wherein one member 23 may be a plate having a hook or arcurate bend at one edge thereof, the other edge being fiat. The member operating therewith Y may also have a hook portion as at 25 and an angular clamping member as at 26 adapted to impinge upon the plate 23.

Of course it will be understood that I have described this peculiar securing means as applied only to pocketbooks, but as previously stated it may be used wherever desired and for that reason modifications as to size and proportions as well as features of construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of this invention.

Having carefully and fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain is 1. Means for retaining the gusset of a purse, comprising a plurality of pairs of parallel tubular members hinged together at one of their ends, tubular means within one of said tubular members of each pair for engaging the edges of said gusset and tubular means within said other tubular members of each pair for engaging the edges of the front and back portions of said purse.

2. Means for securing the gusset of a purse comprising a retaining means formed as a tubular member, and a second tubular member in clamping engagement upon said gusset and adapted to be slidably engaged in said first mentioned tubular member to retain said gusset.

SIDNEY JEFFREY. 

